Vegetable Pie (BBD #17)

(Magyarul itt és itt.)

Lien has chosen a superb theme for BBD #17: Bread and Potatoes. I've already shared the recipe of a loaf with cream and potatoes. My other choice is actually a main dish. It's quite spectacular and delicious at the same time, and it's not difficult to prepare at all. It's ideal if you're expecting a vegetarian guest, or are vegetarian yourself. I'm going to present a vegan and a lacto-vegetarian version as well.

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For more pictures please click here

This is a pie with a thin crumb, soft vegetable cream and delicious baked vegetables. This time, in addition to potatoes I've used broccoli, carrots and parnsnips for the topping, but I think it should work with other vegetables as well.

Recipe: Vegetable Pie (vegan)

Ingredients for the dough (for 2 pies 24 cm in diameter each):

• 2 cup whole wheat flour or Graham flour
  
• 7 g dried yeast
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
  
• cca. 200 ml lukewarm water

Ingredients for the topping (for 2 pies):

• 1 broccoli flower
• 3 parnsnips
• 2 carrots
• 6-7 potatoes
• water and salt for cooking the vegetables
  
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil plus some for greasing the pan
  

Method:

1. Knead a dough from the ingredients listed above. It should be soft but not sticky. Cover with a tea-towel and put aside.
2. Peel and cut the vegetables. Select the most beautiful pieces of parnsnips, carrots and broccoli for the topping. Cut the rest to small pieces, and add potatoes, too. The volume of the vegetables should be about three times the volume of the dough.
3. Pour some water on the cut vegetables, add some salt, and cook them until soft.
4. Meanwhile, lightly oil two pie-dishes (mine are 24 cm in diameter), and arrange the dough in them, forming a high edge.
5. Drain the cooked vegetables and mash them. Spread the puré on the dough, and make a striped pattern with a fork.
6. Drizzle with a little cooking oil, then arrange the raw vegetables on top.
7. Put into the cold oven, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. It's ready when the dough pulls from the ceramic dish at the edges. Then the vegetables are kind of "al dente" on top (if you prefer them soft, you should pre-cook them).
8. Serve immediately in the pie-dish. A glass of white wine complements it really well.

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For more pictures please click here

For this version I didn't cook and mash the potatoes for the topping. I just grated them, added some cheese, and spread the whole thing on the dough. This resulted in a different texture in the baked pie. The Brussels sprouts were also a great choice with their rich flavour and spectacular look (but I think this version also works with other vegetables).

A lacto-vegetarian variation: Pie with Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

The dough is the same as above

For the topping (for 2 pies):

• 8 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and grated
• 200 g smoked cheese, grated
• 20-25 Brussels sprouts, halved

Method:

1. Prepare the dough as explained above.
2. Peel and grate the potatoes, grate the cheese, then mix them together.
3. Lightly oil the pie-dishes, and arrange the dough in them, forming a high edge.
4. Put the potato and cheese mix on the dough, then arrange the Brussels sprouts on them. Drizzle with a little oil.
   
5. Bake and serve the same way as the other version.